Hey guys, my one year old veiled scratches his cage everytime he sees my walk into my room. I think it may be because he thinks of me as a walking tree or something. But everytime i see him in his cage he is a shade of dark green or brown and when i take him out and let him walk around my shoulders and arms, he turns light green and he has never bit me or shown any sign of stress around me. All of this makes me wonder, do chameleons know their owners and show love, affection or trust towards them? Or do they think of their owner as a non predator?

No. Reptiles don't possess the emotional centers in their brains that mammals do to allow them to bond or anything to their owners. They associate people with threat or non-threat or at the most, positive experiences. So your cham (and mine) associate you with food (positive), know you're not a threat to them and know you let them out of their cage (positive). That's the end of the world to my veiled, but heaven to my panther! So we associate it with them liking us, but really they don't care anything about us, just the benefits we give them.

No. Reptiles don't possess the emotional centers in their brains that mammals do to allow them to bond or anything to their owners. They associate people with threat or non-threat or at the most, positive experiences. So your cham (and mine) associate you with food (positive), know you're not a threat to them and know you let them out of their cage (positive). That's the end of the world to my veiled, but heaven to my panther! So we associate it with them liking us, but really they don't care anything about us, just the benefits we give them.

Then how about a mother chameleon giving birth to its babies, obviously she watches them and raises them. Does it really show no affection towards its babies?

Then how about a mother chameleon giving birth to its babies, obviously she watches them and raises them. Does it really show no affection towards its babies?

Actually she doesn't even a little bit! Most species lay eggs in the ground and walk away and never look back. They certainly do not stick around to wait for them to hatch or by any means 'raise them'. Some species give live birth but don't even look to see if they survive more than a few seconds, if even that. There's no recognition of them as her offspring later. As soon as she crawls away that's the end of her mothering. Turtles are the same way. Some snakes may stay with the eggs to keep them warm, but once they hatch they're pretty much on their own. Alligators will guard the nest and get the babies to the water safely. But after a few days they're on their own. Komodo dragons will protect the nest, but not the babies. Reptiles are not known for their mothering for sure!

Actually she doesn't even a little bit! Most species lay eggs in the ground and walk away and never look back. They certainly do not stick around to wait for them to hatch or by any means 'raise them'. Some species give live birth but don't even look to see if they survive more than a few seconds, if even that. There's no recognition of them as her offspring later. As soon as she crawls away that's the end of her mothering. Turtles are the same way. Some snakes may stay with the eggs to keep them warm, but once they hatch they're pretty much on their own. Alligators will guard the nest and get the babies to the water safely. But after a few days they're on their own. Komodo dragons will protect the nest, but not the babies. Reptiles are not known for their mothering for sure!

That's a male Jackson, who would eat his baby if it wasn't on his head. He might probably be hissing because of the "thing" on his face. Female jackson's will eat their babies if left in the same cage.